What?

Task Definition
1. What is my research question?
2. What do I already know?
3. What information do I need?

Where?

Search Plan
1. What type of information do I need? For example: general, in depth, current, historical, biographical, issue oriented, other?
2. Review suggested resources, circle ones that fit, prioritize your list.
3. Evaluate resources for significance, accuracy, currency, authority.

Sample Book List
868.6209 Jor Bloom's BioCritiques: Jorge Luis Borges
This type of book offers both a brief biography and information analyzing the author's work.

Sample Reference Book List

Ref 700.202 Bro Timelines of the Arts and Literature
Ref 809.04 Wor Index to Wilson Authors Series
Ref 820 Kun British Authors Before 1800
Ref 820 Kun British Authors of the 19th Century
Ref 809 Kun Twentieth Century Authors
Ref 809 Kun Twentieth Century Authors: 1st Supplement
Ref. 809.04 Wor World Authors (11 vol.)
Ref 809 Cyc Cyclopedia of World Authors (4 vol.)
Ref 809 Lit Literature and It's Times (5 vol.)
Ref 809 Wri Writers for young adults (4 vol.)

How?

Location & Access
1. Jot down rich words that relate to your topic.
2. Check your words, change your words if your search fails.
3. Focus your search by looking for relationships between elements in your research question.

Words to try for keyword or SUBJECT searching in the Library Catalog.

AUTHORS, ENGLISH
AUTHORS
CHRISTIE, AGATHA
FLAUBERT, GUSTAVE
ENGLISH LITERATURE--HISTORY AND CRITICISM
FRENCH LITERAURE--CRITICISM AND INTERPRETATION
LITERATURE--HISTORY AND CRITICISM

Simple search tips from the Librarian
In the Dewey Decimal system of organizing information, the 820's are where you will find information on English writers. The 830s through 890s are where other world authors a found in Dewey. Therefore, one strategy to locate information on you writer, could be to browse the 820-890s section of this library.

Secondly, the 921's are where many of the individual biographies are located. Biographies are shelved by the number 921 then alphabetically by who they are about. So if you were looking for a biography of Agatha Christie, you could browse the shelves in the 921 Chr's.

Citing Discovering Collection
Discover Collection materials drawn from many different sources, citing is determined based on type of source. Check Works Cited handout in the Library or Online in Class Support under Library Media Center.